Dan Gil, Poughkeepsie High School boys soccer head coach, speaks to his team during a game against Beacon High School on Sept. 25 in Beacon.

Written by

Phil Strum
Poughkeepsie Journal

The Poughkeepsie High School boys soccer team hasn't had a lot of success on the pitch this season, with a 1-9 record, but communication has been one of the Pioneers' strengths.

Poughkeepsie first-year coach Daniel Gil gives instructions to his team in both English and Spanish; 12 of the 18 players on the squad speak Spanish, including three students enrolled in the school's English as a Second Language (ESL) program.

"Not having the language barrier is great," said Gil, a former ESL student who moved to the United States from Colombia in 1991. "I feel I can really connect with my players." ...